1David prayeth for remission of his sins, whereof he maketh a deep confession: 16he prayeth God to sanctify him. 16God delighteth not in sacrifice, but in contrition of heart: 18David prayeth for the welfare of the church.
0To the 1chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the propheta came unto him, after he had 2gone inb to Bath-sheba.
1 See the first annotation at Psalm 4 in the title. It is remarkable that, as it pleased God to cause David’s fall to be described in the Holy Scripture for a manifold instruction and warning to His people, David, likewise inspired by God’s Holy Spirit, caused this psalm to be solemnly sung and played in the house of God for the same end and purpose.
a 2 Sam. 12:1, etc.
2 See Gen. 6 on verse 4.
b 2 Sam. 11:4.
1HAVE mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the 3multitude of thy tender mercies 4blot out my transgressions.
3 Or, greatness.
4 Or, wipe, put out. Compare Isa. 43:25; 44:22; Col. 2:14. Also verse 9.
2Wash me 5throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
5 Hebr. multiply, wash me, or, multiply or do much to wash me, or, wash me much or manifold, soundly, thoroughly, over and over. Thus David speaks out of the consideration and sensibleness of the greatness and multitude of his sins. The manner of speaking is indeed taken from the outward and ceremonial washing and cleansing (whereof see Lev. 11:25, 32; 14:8, 9; Num. 19:19, 20, etc., also Exod. 19:10), but has regard to the thing signified, namely, the spiritual washing and cleansing from sin, through the blood of the Messiah. See 1 Cor. 6:11; 1 John 1:7; Rev. 7:14. Compare below verse 7.
3For I 6acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.
6 Or, I know, my transgressions are known to me.
4Against thee, thee 7only, have I sinned, and done this 8evil in thy sight: thatc thou mightest be 9justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.
7 Namely, forasmuch, having endeavored to hide my sins before men, I nevertheless found upon Nathan’s reproof and felt in my own conscience, that Thou art a true Witness and Judge thereof; Thou Who likewise art only able to punish and to forgive my sins.
8 Or, what is displeasing to Thee.
c Rom. 3:4.
9 That is, that Thou mayest be found, held and judged righteous. By this confession David gives God the honor, that His words and judgments, declared unto him by Nathan, are just and blameless. Other, so that thou art righteous, etc.
5Behold, I was 10shapen in 11iniquity; and in sin did my mother 12conceive me.
10 Thus the Hebrew word is used Job 15:7; Prov. 8:24:25.
11 Understand original sin, inbred corruption, the flesh and the indwelling sin. See John 3:6; Rom. 7:17.
12 Hebr. warmed me. Or, hath been warmed, namely, in conceiving and bearing me. Concerning the Hebrew word, compare Gen. 30:38, 39, 41.
6Behold, thou desirest 13truth in the 14inward parts: and in the 15hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
13 That is, unfeigned, no dishonest uprightness in opposition to hypocrisy and dissembling, of which David had made himself guilty at this time.
14 Or, inmost, inward parts, or dispositions, namely, of man; that is to say, the heart. Compare Rom. 2:29; 7:22; 2 Cor. 4:16; 1 Peter 3:4. Likewise Luke 11:39, 40. The Hebrew word is only found here and Job 38:36, derived from a root (word), which signifies to spread over, cover, overlay (as men do walls with chalk, mortar, lime, etc.) and is by some rendered the kidneys or reins (as being overlaid, or covered with fat) whereby are oft times understood the human affections; though others would have it præcordia, that is, the cover, or fence of the heart, or breastbone, covering the heart, wherein God has placed wisdom, Job 38:36.
15 Or, in the enclosed, namely, the heart. He seems to say that God has taught him not only to let his light to shine on the outside, but also and especially to be holy on the inside, that is, in the secret of the heart. Some refer it to the wisdom of God in secret, 1 Cor. 2:7, etc., revealed in the Gospel and through His Spirit.
7Purge me with 16hyssop,d and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
16 That is, by the sprinkling with the blood of the Messiah, typified by the ceremonies, whereof see Lev. 14:4, 5, 6, 7; Num. 19:6, 9. See the annotations there, and of hyssop 1 Kings 4 on verse 33.
d Lev. 14:4, 6; Num. 19:6, 18.
8Make me to 17hear joy and gladness; that the 18bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
17 By assuring me of the pardon of my sins, inwardly by Thy Holy Spirit, and outwardly by the ministry of Thy prophets.
18 That is, that I may rejoice, whom Thou hast afflicted such pains through the message of Thy hot displeasure, as one suffers, whose bones are broken and bruised or crushed in pieces; or, whose vigor, ability and delight is altogether as decayed and molten away. See Job 2:5; 30:17; 33:19; Psalm 35:10; 38:3, etc.
919Hide thy face from my sins, and 20blot out all mine iniquities.
19 That is, impute them not unto me. Compare Psalm 90 on verse 8; 109:14, 15; Jer. 16:17.
20 As verse 1.
1021Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a 22right spirit within me.
21 That is, work effectually the cleansing of my heart through Thy Holy Spirit. Thus the word create is elsewhere also used in this matter. See Isa. 41:20; 57:19; Eph. 2:10; 4:24, etc.
22 That is, renew by a steadfast faith a firm and constant resolution in my soul to obey Thy commandments, in order that I do not slide or fall anymore as I did before. Compare Psalm 57:7; 112:7. Compare moreover of heart and spirit Ezek. 11:19 with the annotations there, and of the words within me Job 20 on verse 14.
1123Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy 24holy spirit from me.
23 Which is a consequence of God’s great indignation. See Gen. 4:14, 16; 2 Kings 24:20; Jer. 7:15; 52:3.
24 Hebr. the spirit of thine holiness, that is, Thine Holy Spirit; as, Hebr. the hill of my holiness, Psalm 2:6; palace or temple of his holiness, Psalm 11:4, etc. Thus the Lord Christ and His apostles have called throughout the third Person of the sacred Trinity, the Holy Spirit.
12Restore unto me the 25joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy 26free spirit.
25 The joy which I had and enjoyed before in the salvation, which Thou hast prepared for, and shalt bestow upon me; whereof the sense and feeling now is much obscured and darkened within me.
26 Or, sustain me with voluntary or free, willing, noble, beneficent spirit; by which I may with childlike cheerfulness call upon and with delight and readiness serve Thee. Compare this with the Spirit of adoption, whereof see Rom. 8:15, 16. Other, the Spirit of goodwill, boldness.
1327Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
27 By my example shall I instruct and comfort them, and by this means (seeing that there is grace and favor with Thee for a poor and penitent sinner) shall they convert themselves. Of the Lord’s ways, see Gen. 18 on verse 19; Psalm 25:4, 10; Hosea 14:9, etc.
14Deliver me from 28bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy 29righteousness.
28 Hebr. bloods, that is, the guilt of manslaughter which I have committed on Uriah, and others who were killed because of and together with him, whereby I have deserved myself the punishment of death. See Gen. 4 on verse 10; 9:5, 6.
29 Which Thou dost manifest in the gracious keeping and performing of Thy promises. Others read it as a matter of prayer: let my tongue, etc.
15O Lord, 30open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.
30 Put into my mouth a new song. See Psalm 40 on verse 3. He implies that his mouth was shut in a manner through the grief for his sins, and the exercise of his unworthiness, and could not to be opened again, but through God’s favor and the comfort of the Holy Spirit.
16For thou desirest 31not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.
31 Namely, without preceding and concomitant repentance. See the preceding psalm and verse 19 below; Rom. 12:1. Likewise Hosea 6 on verse 6. Some understand it of the state of the New Testament or the spiritual worship thereof. See Psalm 50 on verse 8.
17The sacrifices 32of God are a broken spirit: a 33broken and a 34contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
32 That is, which He principally commands and which are pleasant to Him, as John 6:28 works of God.
33 He speaks of such a heart which, through an upright and deep sense of and sorrow for sin, does heartily long and sigh for the pardon of the same. The similitude is taken from breaking, bruising, crushing, etc. of hard or hardened things is plain. See Psalm 34 on verse 18. To this is opposed a hard or hardened heart, whereof the Scripture speaks elsewhere. Other thus: The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart; them thou wilt not despise.
34 Or, bruised, crushed.
18Do good 35in thy good pleasure unto 36Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.
35 Or, through thy favorableness.
36 The place where Thou dwellest, where Thy church doth keep her solemn holy assemblies, serves and worships Thee. See further Psalm 2 on verse 6. Thus David prays for the people of God, with grief of heart, that nevertheless the scandal done by him might not in any way tend to the injury and disturbance of the entire church.
19Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of 37righteousness, with burnt offering and 38whole burnt offering: then shall 39they offer bullocks upon thine altar.
37 See Psalm 4 on verse 5 and compare verse 16 above.
38 Understand a peculiar meat offering of the high priest which was to be entirely consumed and burned. See Lev. 6:20, 22, 23. Though sometimes it was also practiced thus with sacrifices, as we see in 1 Sam. 7:9.
39 Namely, Thy people in Zion. Or, they shall offer, that is, men shall offer, there shall be offered, as elsewhere frequently.